Will Oregon Matchup Help or Hurt Oklahoma State Next Season?
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Oklahoma State has an opportunity to get an impressive early season win, but it might lead to a slow start.
Several years ago, the Big 12 addressed the conference’s lack of national respect by requiring its member schools to schedule at least one power conference opponent in the nonconference window. That has led to some of the most interesting matchups over the past few seasons, including some classic games for OSU.
Just last season, the Cowboys beat Arkansas in Stillwater in a double-overtime thriller. Although OSU never built on that momentum and finished with a 3-9 record, the Cowboys’ premier nonconference game is still something to look forward to each season.
Over the next several seasons, the Cowboys’ big matchup will feature Alabama, Nebraska and another matchup with Arkansas. Meanwhile, the Cowboys will have a date with the Oregon Ducks in Eugene next season.
The Ducks are seen as one of the top teams in the country again in 2025 and could easily make their way back to the College Football Playoff. That could put OSU at risk of suffering an early-season loss when it is desperate to bounce back.
The Cowboys will travel to Oregon in Week 2, giving OSU only one game under its belt. That first game will come against FCS team UT Martin on a Thursday in Week 1.
With OSU getting no reps against teams on its level going into the matchup with Oregon, the Cowboys’ game in Oregon could go a couple of different ways. The seemingly likeliest option would be for OSU to get a rude awakening against a team that has more size and skill.
On the other hand, OSU will be coming off a game against an FCS team and could understandably exude confidence in Eugene. That second version of OSU will need to show up for it to have a chance at the upset, but it wouldn’t necessarily guarantee any results.
While winning the game is a long shot, OSU needs to play well enough to take some lessons away from the game. Considering Oregon nearly lost early-season contests to Idaho and Boise State last season, OSU might just be able to catch the Ducks on a bad day.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.